The Power Of The Ocean
by Harbinger Of Nightfall
Summary: A reclusive Swampert takes it upon himself to reunite a cheerful Mantyke with its missing parents. Little do they know of the perils that wait for them in the unforgiving oceans. To secure the Mantyke's future, the Swampert must first confront his past and thwart a dastardly scheme to rule the seas in the process!
1. The Captain

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon. Kinda guessing you already knew that. _

_I've had this idea in my head for a while now. I've read many Pokemon fanfics and I've noticed how none of them really take place in the waters/sea/ocean, so I figured I'd try something a little bit different. Hopefully it pays off! Feel free to leave comments. Open to pretty much all criticism, so long as it is constructive._

_And on a side note, all chapters are POV of the principle character unless otherwise stated._

_Enjoy!_

**THE POWER OF THE OCEAN**

**CHAPTER ONE: THE CAPTAIN**

You may think that an environment as harsh as this cannot provide much in terms of a foundation for a stable lifestyle. Sunlight is scarce, water is abundant yet one would be a fool to try and drink it. As opposed to lush grasslands, spanning forests and blossoming meadows, the only form of plant life here is the slimy-looking weeds that dance in the undercurrent. The ground beneath me is comprised most of rock and sand that spans for what seem to be an infinite number of miles. There is little in terms of "society" here. It's a Stoutland-Eat-Stoutland world out there, survival of the fittest. It's the circle of life. Yet here I am, almost a mile down submerged in the warm summer's ocean.

And frankly, I couldn't be happier.

The place that I choose to reside is within the sunken wreckage of a decaying wooden ship, most likely used by antagonistic humans who scoured the seas in search of plunder. Indeed, this vessel is home to countless Pokemon. The outer boards of the ship nest thousands of microscopic plankton and fungi which hundreds of Staryu and a fewer number of Starmie feast upon in a never-ceasing all-you-can-eat buffet with several Chinchou and Lantern also try to include themselves in such a free-for-all. Corsola gather in the lower decks of the ship, their horn-like protrusions help provide shelter and sanctuary to Remoraid and Horsea that hide from the constant waves of predators that scour these "relatively shallow" waters in search of an easy meal.

It is constantly silent, one could even go as far as calling it peaceful. That is never the case. This ship, I consider to be my castle. But like any castle, there are always invaders and outside aliens that threaten my realm. Venture too far in search of prey and you risk running into hungry packs of Sharpedo. If you try to break the surface, which I must do on a fairly regular basis in comparison to my permanently aquatic neighbours, hoards of Gyarados and Tentacruel patrol the surface. Luckily, they daren't venture too close to the ship thanks to the defensive Chinchou and Latern. They often discharged electricity when threatened, which would send the vast majority of potential attackers packing. This technique had also been adopted by a small number of Staryu and Starmie, learning how to wield electricity as an efficacious form of attack and/or defense.

But this wasn't a problem for me. Not only did the electricity have little effect on me, if any, but I could handle my own against attackers. Especially those fucking Sharpedo that chase me almost every time I place a foot (or should that be a fin?) outside of the walls that house me. The Gyarados are a bit more of a problem. Fortunately, they aren't as well adapted for travelling on land as I am.

I let out a yawn, bubbles of air escape from my lungs as I open my jaw widely, stretching my front limbs. You could call them arms, yet you could equally call them front legs. Maybe I should explain. I am a Swampert. Maybe not the most likely of creatures that you'd find living at the bottom of the sea, but I find it far less strenuous than living on land permanently. I am able to breathe underwater, although not to as great an extent as when I am on terra-firma. But food is more readily available around here. A diet of Krabby, Shellder, Remoraid, Luvdisc and, if I'm lucky, the occasional Buizel. The more delectable choices of Wartortle, Alomomola and Gorebyss are few and far between and the even more fulfilling Seel, Dewgong and Sealeo are found in much colder waters. And I absolutely REFUSE to eat fucking Magikarp, no matter how common they are.

The "room" that I call home is, or was, the Captain's room. Some of the Pokemon around here refer to me by the name Captain for that very reason, although that is not my real name. It has been so long, sometimes I forget it myself. How I ended up here, that is a story that I would much sooner forget.

My day begins with a groan having only just woken from my slumber. Another nightmare had disturbed my sleep, but only briefly. They've been becoming much more frequent lately. Instantly, I figured there might be a Darkrai lurking around the area, but since when were Darkrai aquatic? Moving out of the pile of soaked rags that I had formed into the shape of a "bed" fitting of a creature of my size, I peer through the port-hole that is still intact after so many years subjected to the brutal undercurrents. Just as I press my face towards the transparent pane of what can only be glass, I stare out into the abyss. How am I going to pass the day today?

If you crack a joke about "going for a swim," I swear I'll rip your fucking arms off!

Suddenly…

"MORNING!"

I jerk my head backwards with a start. The mischievous smile of a young, yet high-spirited Pokemon firmly presses itself against the side of the ship. It giggles in a playful voice upon seeing my reaction, before peeling itself away from the window and swimming in a loop-the-loop before coming to a stop a few feet away from the window.

This bloody Mantyke has been pissing me off for weeks now! I had half a mind to scoff him for breakfast.

"What's the first orders of the day, Captain?" the Mantyke asked cheerfully. "Shall we go hunting for treasure?"

"If you want to look for treasure, go join an Exploration Team," I yawn once again with little interest, swimming over to one of the cupboards of the Captain's Room where I had stored a nice Kingler Claw for my breakfast, which was fortunate for the Mantyke. "My first order of the day is to leave me alone for the rest of the day, and the day after that, and the day after that. Are you getting the hint?"

"No, sir," the Mantyke replied, spinning in a circle zippily drifting back and forth with a couple of flaps of his "wings." His chirpiness really pisses me off sometimes. "I don't know where I can find one. The Jellicent Guild is over a hundred million miles away," he exaggerated with an infantile sense of innocent, "and there's lots of scary Pokemon out there that might try and eat me!"

"And what makes you think that I won't?" I ask with a hint of venom as I crack the claw in half with ease. The Mantyke merely smiles, apparently not intimidated by me in the slightest.

"Coz you've got a Kingler Claw!" he answered. My look was even more threatening than my initial warning. The Mantyke simply continues to smile with a delirious look of joy on his face. This young critter didn't have a care in the world, despite the dangers that lurk in the deep. I can't help but release a chuckle that is only so loud for me alone to hear. Shaking my head, I tear the remaining flesh from one half of the claw, before moving towards the window and slowly opening it, discarding the severed pincer in front of the Mantyke, who gleefully nabs it in his mouth and sucks on the remaining few clumps of flesh that I had not devoured myself. Before I have a chance to close the window, the Mantyke quickly zips into my room.

"Hey!" I proclaim angrily. "Get out of here! This is MY den, not yours. Shouldn't you be with your parents or something?" I keep the window open, desperately searching for the large, somewhat ghostly shapes of Mantine, but fail to spot anything noteworthy amidst all the damn Magikarp. I look back to see that the Mantyke is zooming backwards and forwards all across the room, looking around every nook and cranny. I swim after it, but it quickly evades me attempt to grab it before it unsettles anything out of its position. It giggles playfully once more, which only causes me to scowl. "I'm tired of this, Mantyke. Go back to your parents!"

"Mantyke?" the creature of the same name enquires curiously. "My name is Rascal, not Mantyke." Why does such a name not surprise me?

"I'm not calling you Mantyke by name, I'm referring to you by species," I sigh with exasperation, placing the palm of my hand (paw, fin, whatever) on my forehead to further imply this. "I'm not going to tell you again, go back to your parents!"

"I can't."

"WHY THE FU…" I quickly stop myself from swearing in front of the kit, who seems as unfazed as and Unfezant by my anger. "Why can't you go back to your parents."

"Coz I don't know where they are," Rascal answers with a slightly disheartened sigh, his cheery demeanour dissipating rapidly. "They went off the other week when the stars shrunk and disappeared. They told me to stay here until they get back."

"Wait, what!?" I exclaim, not fully understanding the situation. "The stars shrink and disappear? What do you mean?"

"I don't know," Rascal whines, falling somewhat silent but continues to stare at me as though I could provide some sort of answer for him. A sense of sorrow and somewhat guilt filled me. I could quite easily put him out of his misery and at the same time have found myself my lunch, but there was something about the youthful charm of this youngster that made me repent such a thought. With a sigh as a result of my heavy-heartedness, I pick up the second half of the Kingler Claw and casually throw it in the direction of Rascal. It floats in a spiral through the water. Rascal quickly spits out the remnants of the previous half and quickly begins to devour the flesh on this one.

"Look, I'll help you find your parents and you can stay here until we do," I say to the youngster, whose face suddenly lights up. "But there's one condition."

"Shure, wha iz ip?" the Mantyke mumbles with a mouthful of claw.

"That you do exactly what I say and don't go anywhere by yourself. These waters are dangerous if you don't know how to navigate them. And seeing as how you don't know what specie you are, let alone know your way around this area, I don't want anything happening to you before we find your mother and father. Understood?" Rascal responds with an over-excitable nod of the head.

"Thanks, Captain!" Rascal beams joyfully, spitting the claw from his mouth for a moment as he darts forward to embrace me with his wings. I roll my eyes at this act of affection, groaning under my breath.

"And one more thing," I add. "My name is not "Captain." From now on, you call me by my real name. Galleon."

"Aye aye, Captain!" Rascal grins as he draws away from me, saluting me like a deckhand with one of his flippers. I shake my head and turn away from Rascal to peer out of the window once more, contemplating if I was actually doing the right thing. Not for the kit, but for ME.

Worse still… I'm STILL hungry.

**End Of Chapter**


	2. Midnight Story

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon_

**THE POWER OF THE OCEAN**

**CHAPTER TWO: MIDNIGHT STORY**

Perpetual light barely reaches this depth in middle of the day, but by night the waters become eerily dark. Fortunately, we Pokemon have heightened senses in comparison to the humans that inhabit the land above to enable us to strive in such blackness. In fact, this is the sort of time where the ocean truly comes alive. You are far more likely to run into different kinds of Pokemon at this time of the day as opposed to when the light is able to penetrate the depths, mainly because this is when many of the predators have already had their fill throughout the day and have since secluded themselves into slumber, although danger is never too far away in this harsh environment!

"I wanna go outside!" Rascal chirpily whinged, hovering inside of the window. "Can we go and find my parents yet? I'm hungry! Do you wanna play Hide And Go-Seek? How about I-Spy?" I covered my ears with handfuls of rags in an attempt to block out the noise. Just because the majority of Pokemon are still awake does not mean that I have to follow suit. It had been a tiring day trying to keep Rascal entertained. All I wanted to do was get some shut-eye, but Rascal was having none of it. "I-Spy with my little eye something beginning with the letter M!" Growing weary, I lift my head from my bed, glaring towards the area of the room that the Mantyke is situated.

"If I play this one last game with you, will you finally shut up and go to sleep?" I growl tiredly. The Mantyke giggles to himself playfully, which wasn't the answer that I was hoping for. Hoping for the best, I decide to play along one last time. "Magikarp?" I ask, hoping that this would be the most possible conclusion. Rascal chuckles once more, not turning to face me although even his back seemed to have a smile on it thanks to the patterning on his back.

"Nope," Rascal replied. "Try again! Come on!"

"Magmortar?" I reply half-heartedly, knowing full well that finding such a Pokemon around here would be absolutely impossible. This causes the Mantyke to frown with a bit of confusion, unsurprisingly really considering he didn't even realise what a Mantyke was until earlier today. He negatively shakes his head to signal my guess was incorrect. "Mudkip?" I speculate once more. The Mantyke suddenly spins around, his smile even wider than usual, if that is at all possible.

"Do you like Mudkips!?" Rascal beams, earning a palm to the face from me. No, I didn't hit Rascal, a mere act of exasperation on my part.

"Are you playing the game or not," I snarl once again, my temper reaching a peak. The Mantyke recoils, perhaps taken aback by my frustration but it does not take long for its cheerful expression to return before looking back towards the window.

"Try again," Rascal giggles. I groan to myself. This was getting beyond a joke.

"I give up," I concede, no longer wishing to take part in these shenanigans. The Mantyke points a flipper towards the window to indicate its reflection.

"It was ME!" Rascal laughs victoriously, zooming across the room with joy. "M is for ME! I could see myself in the window!"

"Well done," I insincerely congratulate him. "Now go to sleep."

"Come on, Captain. Just one more game? Pleeeeease?" he begs, putting his flippers together as if in prayer. I let out a sigh as I squint my eyes, hoping that this form of trauma will eventually end, not to mention the annoyance at Rascal's insistence to call me "Captain" adding volume to my sigh.

"How about I tell you a story?" I smirk to myself, hoping that this tactic will be enough to induce a state of tiredness into the young Mantyke. Overjoyed by the prospect, Rascal excitably sips around the room yet again, swimming in loops and somersaults as it spins through the water.

"Story! Story! I like stories!" Rascal cheers as he swims right towards me. Before he can flatten me with the most playful of Tackles, I am able to catch him by both "wings" with my hands. The force of which he hits me is more reminiscent of a Slam rather than a Tackle, but I am able to stay on my feet as he impacts into my chest. Forcefully, yet to not to the extent that I inflict harm upon him, I shove him into the depths of my own rag bed. He tucks his flippers beneath him, gazing at me with the big, innocent eyes of his.

"Are you comfortable?" I ask, upon which Rascal quickly bobs his head affirmatively. Now, I don't know many stories that would be deemed as suitable for a kit of Rascal's age. He was infantile, the fact that his only attacks were Tackle and Bubble, as I had found out earlier in the midst of one of his playful childhood pranks, I could only assume that he was a few months old at most. Still, I endeavoured to come up with a fable that might be of interest to him. "Once upon a time, there was a young Mudkip who was born into a royal family along with lots of other Princes and Princesses."

"I like Mudkips! I heard YOU like Mudkips!" Rascal cheerfully shouts.

"Are you going to let me tell you this story, or would you sooner go out and talk to some Gyarados?" I threaten warningly. Rascal slinks into the recesses of the bed, slightly worried by my suggestion. "Don't worry, I'm not going to make you go out an talk to any Gyarados," I apologetically reconcile to appease the youngster, who seems lifted by this confirmation. "As I was saying, the young Prince Mudkip was one of the many heirs to the royal throne. The King had gone to serve with his army, who were at war with the horrible Jellicent Clan, who wanted to rule the kingdom for themselves. Many of the Princes and Princesses also went to help fight with their father, but the youngest Prince was too weak and was forced to stay behind to stay with his Mother. Then one day, while the King's Army were in the midst of battle, their home was attacked by a powerful Dragon. The Queen and the young Prince did their best to fight the Dragon away, but it was no use…" I stop to pause, growling at myself. It wasn't perhaps the best story to tell Rascal, but it was the best that I could come up with, even though elements of the fable were enough to resurrect fucking emotion that I had long since suppressed. "The Queen was forced to flee, leaving the weak Prince to fend for himself. As the Dragon went in for the kill, the young Prince finally summoned enough courage to battle the Dragon. As it turned out, the Prince was far stronger than he had realised, able to hold off the Dragon long enough for him to make his own escape. But the Dragon destroyed their home, leaving it as nothing but a pile of rubble before fading back into the darkness from whence it came. The young Prince searched for his mother, but he couldn't find her anywhere… The Prince was left to wander the land and the sea alone, the Queen surely must have been killed in the Dragon's attack. Even the King's Army were eventually defeated by the Jellicent, but the weakest Prince was able to survive. I guess the moral of this story is never underestimate your own strength, for when the time is right, you will find that hidden power inside of you and you will be able to fend off the greatest of foes." I glance at Rascal upon pausing once again, a small stream of bubbles rising from his mouth with every exhalation. His eyes are welded shut through tiredness, the peaceful snore makes me smile sympathetically for the youngster. "Good night, little one," I smile, covering the Mantyke with one of my rags before moving towards the door of the Captain's Room. Since I was awake, I figured I might as well get some late night hunting done.

I had ensured that the door behind me was securely closed so that Rascal could not get out should he awaken in the night. As usual, the outside of the ship was covered with feasting Staryu and Starmie, hoards of Remoraid were making their way through the depths in search of plankton. I hadn't been hunting for a good few days now, the Kingler that I'd caught the other day had provided me with enough nourishment for a while and I had also stored some Oran and Sitrus Berries should the taste of seafood become slightly boring. Upon leaving the sunken ship, I had headed directly for the surface. The journey took several minutes, maybe quarter of an hour would pass before I broke the surface of the water. The journey to dry land would take about another five.

I'd managed to find a snack in the form of a Barboach on my approach to the land, which my rugged mouth was able to tolerate the barbs and protrusions of its body as I devoured it hastily. This provided me with enough fuel to see me through the next hour or so, in which time I had chanced upon a curious Bibarel that was venturing too far into the rocky terrain in search of Krabby or Corphish for its own nutritional purposes. It fell with only a swift blow to the head with a recently perfected Hammer Arm technique.

Fucking JACKPOT!

It would inevitable drown by the time I had dragged it back to the sunken ship, although scavengers would eye up my prize as I returned back down to the seabed, of course these were mainly Magikarp, Feebas and the occasional Seaking, although a small swarm of Carvanha put me a little uneasy with their presence. Luckily, they were warned off by a passing school of Wailmer, hindering their progress.

The shipwreck was in sight, just a couple more minutes swimming and I would be home. Of course, dragging this Bibarel down with me added time and effort to my journey, but not by a significant length of time. As I travelled, I could not help but think back to the story that I had told to Rascal. Now, I know what you're thinking. Surely, I must be that young, weak Prince that battled with the Dragon. Well, I hate to disappoint you but you're wrong. There are elements of truth surrounding the story, some facts do indeed affect my own existence but not in the way that you think. But that is down to you to figure out on your own, should you wish to do so.

I arrive back at the ship only a couple of hours after putting Rascal to sleep, my prey still intact and now well and truly dead. Curiously, I look around the outside of the ship. Something doesn't seem right. Things seem a lot quieter, the presence of Pokemon much more absent than usual. I can't put my finger/fin on it, but there is definitely something out of place. Tiredly, I let out a yawn. Who cares? So long as I get a good night's sleep, I don't particularly care for what has transpired, so long as Rascal is alright…

That's when a small sense of panic fills me.

Swiftly swimming through the corridors of the shipwreck, I finally arrive at the door to the Captain's Room. It is still closed. I open it slowly, expecting the worst. Much to my relief, Rascal is still sound asleep, undisturbed by my return. I stuff the Bibarel into one of the cupboards for safe-keeping. It will provide a hearty breakfast in the morning, but for now it was time for me to rest. The day had been long and arduous thanks to Rascal, but I could not place the blame entirely on the poor mite.

To end the day, I peer out of the window in a last ditch effort, purely out of wonderment, to try and distinguish the cause of this uneasiness that fills me. I stare out into the abyss, twinkling lights glisten in a long and scattered trail across the ocean like stars in the night's sky.

So captivating… yet paranormal.

I gaze at this image for minutes on end, wondering what could create such a phenomenal view. With the answers unable to be found in my current state, I rest my head on my hands, allowing myself to drift off to sleep, slowly floating away from the window in the surrounding water.

**End Of Chapter.**


	3. Savage Assault

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon._

**THE POWER OF THE OCEAN**

**CHAPTER THREE: SAVAGE ASSAULT**

Rascal had woken woefully early and unsurprisingly had risen wanting immediate attention. I had slept for only a few hours, not quite as long as I had hoped but it was an ample amount of time for me to "recharge my batteries" as they say. Already I had feasted on some of the Bibarel's flesh caught during last night's hunt, which did not seem to please the Mantyke very much since he had moaned that his portion was "too fatty" for his liking. Instead, I compromised by presenting him with a couple of Oran Berries, far more suitable for Rascal's tastes.

This charade had gone on for long enough. Today, I vowed to myself that I would reunite Rascal with his missing parents. As I stretched my muscular limbs in preparation for what was bound to be a long day, I interrogated the child as best I could to obtain some information from him. His mother, as I had suspected, was a Mantine (or as Rascal put it, "looked like him, but WAY bigger"). His father, however, was more of an anomaly. He'd said that his father was more like a big blue snake. Immediately, the idea of a Gyarados popped into my mind, but Rascal discarded this by saying that his father did not have "great big scary teeth." What else could it have been? The likes of Milotic and Dratini would be more noticeable to the eye, but far less likely to encounter due to their rarity. There must be hundreds of Mantine living in these waters, so how would we know which, if any of them, was Rascal's mother?

"Can we go yet, Captain?" Rascal whined impatiently, entertaining himself by zipping around my room. The water had become quite "stuffy," the oxygen in the water that fills the room decreasing doe to the fact that I had kept the window and door closed to prevent any unwelcome visitors from entering. For the time being, I had opened the window to allow some fresh air/water to seep into the room. I kept watch by the window just in case one of the aforementioned predators might try something.

"Soon," I reply with a calm tone, there was no need to raise my voice despite his persistent nagging. "I need to know a bit more about your parents before we head off. Do you know their names?"

"Mommy and Daddy," Rascal answers cheerfully, as though he was proud of the fact that he knew the answer despite the innocent wrongness of his reply.

"No, I mean their REAL names. You call me Captain, but my real name is Galleon. You call your mommy "Mommy," but what does everybody else call her?"

"Well, Daddy calls her Fat sometimes," Rascal replies with a small laugh. "But I think he's called her Glide before, lots of times in fact." Finally, we were getting somewhere. Finding a Mantine called Glide would narrow down the candidates for Rascal's mother dramatically. "I don't know Daddy's name though. I didn't see him as much as Mommy." Sympathetically, I nod towards the child. Cross-Breeding with different species was seen as a terrible crime in some parts of the world, the ocean baring no exception. It is a shame, really. There is so much intolerance in the world these days. Same sex relationships are seen as sinful in the same way that, for example, a Swellow were to fall in love with a Pidgeotto. It is baffling to comprehend why this is such an issue. Perhaps to keep with the "purity" of Pokemon as opposed to the way that the humans do? I don't know… nor do I particularly care.

But that last little statement there… it wasn't necessarily true. I DID care, once.

"Captain Galleon?" Rascal asks curiously, prodding the side of my face with one of his flippers to snap me out of my daydream. I rapidly shake my head to rid myself of these thoughts and look back towards Rascal, whose smile widens as I take notice of him. I smirk to myself. Captain Galleon made me sound like some sort of pirate! It amused me a little, I must admit.

"Are you ready?" I query with a smile, swinging my arms in preparation to swim. The Mantyke beams with delight, zipping across the room to the Captain's Desk where I have laid out a satchel filled with various items we might need, mostly Berries and a Bibarel Fillet to keep us going, although I'd also placed a couple of items in there for Rascal's use should we attract confrontation. Rascal slips the strap of the satchel over his head and across his back in one large loop before swimming with the bag attached to him readily, saluting me in the same way that he had done yesterday or the day before (I can't remember, this whole situation has felt more like a fortnight!)

"Aye aye, Captain Galleon!" Rascal shouts with delirious happiness as I shut the window before opening the door for him to swim through. Overexcited by the prospect of finding his missing parents, Rascal zips past me faster than a freefalling Salamence. Rapidly, I close the door behind me and give chase. Damn, the little bugger is fast! I am barely able to catch up with him as he launches himself out of the great gash on the side of the sunken ship that provides entry, knocking Magikarp and Feebas out of his path without regard. I'm finally able to clasp a hand around one of his flippers, dragging him back in order to warn him of the dangers that lurk outside. Sure enough, a trio of nearby Basculin watch Rascal with famished interest. Luckily, my presence alone is enough to keep them at bay.

I look around the ship's ruined exterior. Sure enough, the Staryu and Starmie are STILL feeding on the algae that grow through the decaying wood. Chinchou and Lantern are also on the prowl, a greedy Corphish gets a nasty shock when he tries to snatch one of the youngsters from below, the Staryu also flashing with electrical charges towards the more curious Chinchou that venture too close. Things look back to normal, I still cannot fathom what seemed so amiss last night. Still, now was not the time for wondering about such nonsense.

I had only taken my eye off Rascal for a couple of seconds, but already he was off once again. To my horror, he was heading straight for the Basculin that had been watching him since appearing through the hole in the side of the ship. I swim with great haste towards Rascal, only to witness the fullest extent of his naivety.

"Excuse me," Rascal asks, bowing his head politely towards the trio of ravenous fish. "I don't mean to interrupt, but have you seen my Mommy and Daddy? My Mommy's a Mantine."

"Aww, poor little blighter's lost his Mommy and Daddy," one of the Basculin chuckles mockingly in a deep, somewhat Cockney/London accent. "What do you reckon, lads? You seen any Mantine floating around 'ere?" The others shake their heads, not taking their eyes off Rascal until I float alongside protectively.

"You'll have to find breakfast elsewhere," I taunt threateningly. The Basculin laugh to themselves, before the same Basculin with a wild look in his eye slowly floats away from the rock that they seem to be resting near.

"What's going on here, then?" the red-striped fish sneers with interest. "Is this your kit, Swampert? Been 'aving a bit of nooky with a Mantine, have ya? Why's that, can't pull one of your own species?" His two cohorts laugh behind him, the chief Basculin grins to reveal his razor sharp teeth that would tear Rascal apart within seconds. Rascal, in his innocence, does not seem to even see the danger.

"No, this is The Captain! He's helping to look for my parents," Rascal replies, still acting as politely as possible.

"Alright then," the Basculin notes, smirking a little to himself as he apparently acknowledges Rascal's statement. There is still a look of maliciousness about him. I move Rascal to one side, ready to defend him against these unpredictable foes. "In that case, no, we ain't seen yer parents. But that don't matter too much! By the time we're done, you won't see them OR your bloody Captain ever again!" I let out an aggressive growl, barricading Rascal from the Basculin, the other two begin to move into position, as if creating a formation in order to attack.

"You need a hand with this, Savvy?" one of the other Basculin asks with a sneer, ready to join in the upcoming fight.

"Nah mate, I got this," the Basculin known as Savvy replies. Apparently, Rascal has finally stumbled across the realisation of this predicament. He is now right behind me, cowering with a sense of fear that I can sense even though I cannot see him. The water behind me is trembling against my back, the vibrations of the Mantyke's worriment confirmed. "So 'Captain,' you ready to be torn limb from fucking limb?"

"You can try," I answer with determination in my voice. The other two Basculin cheer and whoop behind Savvy's back, urging him to initiate the first attack!"

"Get him, Savage!" one of the Basculin encourages menacingly. I'm guessing Savvy must be a nickname, considering he's just been addressed by the name Savage. Makes much more sense than having Savvy as a nickname. Savvy means "discerning," as well as being a paraphrase of "pirate talk." With that, a jet-stream of water trails behind Savage as he darts towards me. Instantly, I summon a large circular barrier around myself, engulfing Rascal in the process. Savage bounces away from my Protect harmlessly, although he seems clearly annoyed at being unable to land a clean hit.

"Fucking wimp!" Savage taunts, addressing my defensive tactic as opposed for resorting to all-out strength. I simply chuckle as the Protect fades away. He swims at me at full speed once again, this time his teeth are bared as he opens his jaw as wide as possible. I choose not to erect another barrier, instead I extend my fist. The Basculin takes the bait, clamping its jaw down on my closed fist. The pain is far more excruciating than I realised. The Bite didn't draw blood, but it was certainly close to puncturing the skin. "Gotcha!" Savage grins, pressing down even further on my hand. However, I quickly swamp forward towards the rocks, my first glowing a pale blue. With an almighty punch, I force Savage into the rocks, the pale glow turning into a freezing sensation that encases Savage in a large block of ice. An Ice Punch at that close a range can cause great damage to even a resistant type such as a Basculin. I extract my fist from Savage's mouth just as the last of the ice entombs Savage, a look of shock is frozen on his face.

"What was that you called me?" I mock with a small sense of triumph. "Got nothing to say? Very well. Let me put an end to this." I quickly check back on Rascal, who is cheering me on from behind. I raise my arm high above my head, before thrusting it downwards, my patented Hammer Arm shatters the thin layer of ice emphatically, knocking the Basculin down forcefully onto the seafloor. The other two Basculin quickly swim to his aid. "Wow, you're persistent for a Pokemon that isn't even beyond Level 16," I mock once more. Savage glares at me with pure frustration, but quickly swims away with his two underlings at his side.

"This ain't over, Swampert!" he calls as he retreats hastily, making me frown somewhat. I knew full well that I was capable of fending for myself, but I know that I can't stay fully focused when I constantly have to look over my shoulder to check the welfare of Rascal. He cheers with delight as I swim to his side.

"Are you alright?" I enquire with a nurturing tone, like a father would ask his own son.

"Wow, Captain! That was awesome!" Rascal chirps, zipping back and forth in his usual fashion. It wasn't exactly "awesome," as he had called it. But I certainly seemed to prove a point.

"You really ought to be careful," I warn with a more stern and serious voice than before. "If all three of those Basculin had attacked at once, we'd have had more of a problem. They weren't particularly strong, but there are some Pokemon that are MUCH stronger and more dangerous than those! Arceus knows what would have happened if there were more of those things. It wouldn't have been pretty, that's for sure."

"You got THAT right, prick!" the angered voice of Savage suddenly shouts from behind. Both Rascal and I turn around quickly to see a much more intimidating sight. No longer is Savage accompanied by two companions. There are now at least twelve of the bastards! They all bare their teeth in readiness to attack. Rascal shivers with fright once again, ducking behind me. "You've gone and messed with the WRONG Basculin, mate! This time we're gonna fuck you up REAL GOOD!" A scowl escapes my mouth once again. This doesn't look promising.

"Shit," I groan, clenching my fists once more. "Me and my big mouth." This was going to be tough. Before I could even plan out the orchestration of my attack, the whole hoard of ravenous fish charge towards me. "Stay back," I warn to Rascal, who quickly rushes away in search of a hiding spot as I prepare for what will surely be a difficult battle.

**End Of Chapter**


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